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Showing posts with the label Letters to the Editor

Local Gardening Store [Gramling's] is a Treasure: Letter to the Editor

Tallahassee Democrat Sunday, June 15th 2014 Dear Editor, I’ve been growing food since I was 8, when I became known as “that boy with the garden.” These days, folks know me as the “Man in Overalls.” Though I like watching things grow, gardening for me has always been about more than aesthetics. It’s a survival skill-set against hunger and food insecurity, something — thank God — I have not truly needed. Starting when I was a child, I began visiting Gramling’s on South Adams Street for seeds, starts, organic fertilizer and environmentally safe pest products. They learned my name and watched me grow up. These days, when I stop by, Wayne, their store manager, greets me, “Overalls!” and then says, “Dirty deeds done dirt cheap,” under his breath. Every time. It still makes me smile. I write, generally, to encourage us to spend our dollars locally, to invest in Main Street, to reclaim our hometown gems, to support the businesses that know our names. Specifically, I...

Thanks to Ro-Mac: Letter to the Editor

Tallahassee Democrat Thursday 20th, 2011 Dear Editor- On a routine trip to Ro-Mac Lumber and Supply [ map ] last week, I saw a handwritten door sign: "All Sales Final: Going Out of Business." With disappointment, I shook my head. Not Ro-Mac . Two years ago, I started Tallahassee Food Gardens with $300 and a pickup. My mission was to enable "wannabe" food gardeners, network local food and community garden activists, and, generally, support the food movement. From the beginning, Ro-Mac was my supplier for raised-bed lumber, hardware and tools. By my third visit, they greeted me by name. Unlike the big boxes, the folks in Ro-Mac knew things. Frequently, they cut my boards to size; occasionally, they charged me. Ro-Mac was and remains a great local business that's far more than a store. It's a storehouse of great people, trade wisdom and incredible service. Ro-Mac opened in 1946. It closes shop in March. The guys at the front desk jokingly told me, ...